I never really intended to go to Oslo. I had nothing against the idea of it per say, but it never captured my imagination like most of Europe had. Sure, I liked the Norwegian pavilion at Epcot, and the travel shows make Bergen and the fjords look beautiful, but Oslo looked to me like a modern tangle minus the charm of say, New York City or London. But, cheap air fare often dictates travel plans, and round trip air to Europe for 600 meant that it was worth it to go to Oslo for a couple of days.

Its fair to say that Oslo gave me much more than I bargained for. I couldn't have imagined that modern architecture and old harbor could blend so perfectly. I've never seen such expensive food before, or people so tall. (If James were blonde, he'd fit right in.) I've never seen a city spend so much money on itself from the exquisite tulips in a public square to the stunning "iceberg" opera house on the water. James described the Aker Brygge waterfront district as displaying wealth that he'd only previously seen in Doha. (wealthy middle eastern city) Norwegians have an amazing sense of design, though, so this display of wealth is so tasteful, it hardly seems real. Oslo has an unexplainable charm all it's own that is different from any European city I've visited. I can't wait to see more.